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 I
wanted to share a little background about the photo attached. The picture
was taken in 1952 at the Halfway Dragway in Halfday Ill. It was an old
airfield converted to a drag strip. The bike is an Indian TT Warrior called
the "Bratcy Special". It was owned by Dud Bratton. Dud was the owner of an
Indian dealership in Chicago. Dud is shown standing behind the bike, the
rider shown is unknown to me. Dud Bratton tried out various riders for the
two bikes he fielded in '52 and my father ended up riding both his Class A
and Class B bikes (Class A was was for 30.5 cubic inches and under and Class
B was unlimited class). The Warrior had the engine turned around backwards
in the frame so the carbs would get a ram air effect at speed. This required
a new cam shaft as the engine had to run backwards because the chain socket
was on the other side of the bike. My father tells me he did well at the
beginning of the '52 season on both bikes until a dual engine Harley showed
up in the unlimited class. My Father recalled that the name of the twin
engine Harley that appeared in the class B competitions was called "Tramp"
and nothing could touch it.
My father did ride the Warrior to the season championship in Class B at
Halfway but lost to a rider on a Norton. The Warrior bogged off the line in
the championship race and that was that. You can still hear the
disappointment in my fathers voice when he talks about it. This bike did set
several track records at Halfway however with my father as the pilot. The
date of the Photo is either '52 or '53 and my Father thinks it's1953.The
class B unlimited bike was a Chief with an 80 cubic inch Bonneville engine
in it.
 My
Father was the President of the Chicago Silver Wheels bike club at that time
and was usually the ride captain for their events. Every year they hosted a
"Rodeo" at the Sante Fe Park race track. It was a 1/2 mile dirt track in the
Chicago area. The attached photo is a '48 or '49 Chief owned by his best
friend. The young lady sitting on it was my Father's friends wife.
Hope this helps.
Hope you enjoy the photos.
Marty
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